Did You Know…

Did you know that Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church has a Spiritual Direction/Spiritual Companionship Ministry? Spiritual direction/ companionship is a centuries old practice grounded in the beliefs that God is present in all circumstances and in all things and that life is a sacred journey of becoming more awake and alive to this reality. A spiritual director/companion supports a person’s sacred journey by listening to their life experiences, by encouraging and supporting personal reflection on these experiences, and by helping them discover what effect these experiences might have had on their awareness of and relationship with God.

People of all faiths seek spiritual direction/companionship for a variety of reasons including support during a major life change or a crisis, hhelp with discernment, self-care, and finding meaning beyond the moment. All life experiences are part of the spiritual journey. Thomas Merton said, “… the spiritual life is not just the life of the mind, or of the affections, or of the ‘summit of the soul’ - it is the life of the whole person.” Spiritual direction/ companionship is not, however, psychotherapy nor counseling nor life coaching. Spiritual directors/companions do not diagnose and prescribe, do not engage in behavior modification, do not tell you how or what to think, do not offer techniques to deal with specific issues, and do not coach you on “how to make the most out of life”. In other words, spiritual directors/ companions are not in the business of fixing problems or telling you what to do or how to think. Spiritual directors/companions are in the business of gently guiding you so that you might become more aware of the God’s presence, love, and light and thus discover God’s wisdom within.

When you come to a spiritual direction session you can expect a safe, hospitable, non-judgmental, confidential space where the spiritual director/companion will listen deeply with you to your life experiences. The spiritual director/companion does not come with an agenda other than to be fully present to you and to the flow of the Spirit. The three chairs, a symbol of spiritual direction/companionship, signifies the presence of the director/companion, the directee/seeker, and the Spirit. Most spiritual directors/ companions will have a third chair in the meeting space as well as a lighted candle to represent the presence of the Spirit, the true spiritual director and transformer of lives.

If you would like to know more about spiritual direction/companionship, please feel free to contact either Christine McHenry, clm2804@gmail.com or Roger Johannigman, rtjohannigman@gmail.com. We are both trained spiritual directors and would be happy to talk with you.